Red and Black Clydeside

Bookfair & Gathering 2023

On the 27th th of May 2023, Glasgow Keelie, the Spirit of Revolt, Glasgow Anarcom Network and Glasgow Anarchist Communist Group will be hosting a gatherhering of libertarian/anarchist collectives, organisations, and individuals in the Centre for Contemporary Arts.

350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3JD

The event is a showcase for the libertarian left and beyond in Glasgow today. This will largely be a collection of Glasgow/Scotland-based groups but with others coming from England, Ireland, and elsewhere. As well as talks, discussions, and stalls, we are providing a long overdue chance, curtailed by the pandemic, to mingle in person. Red and Black Clydeside is part of working class Glasgow’s May Day celebrations. It’s all free. Be there!

BOOKFAIR OPENS 12 till 8:00 All events are FREE

SCOTTISH HISTORIES OF RESISTANCE 12:00. 1:00 Cinema

SHR is a year-long learning programme, happening across Scotland in a
range of community hubs, friendship groups, activist or organising
communities and history groups. Each month there will be a theme for
example ‘strikes and sabotage, examples from the workers movements’
which groups will be able to explore through a variety of events,
projects and resources; of community hubs, friendship groups, activist
or organising communities and history groups.

HOSPITALITY STRUGGLES 1:00-2:30 Cinema

All the restaurants, bars and cafes that are perceived as trendy and
fun, that market themselves as being different and progressive, still
have kitchen-porters, waiters, cooks and bartenders who are overworked
and underpaid. Worse still are the tips stolen and hours cut, lack of
protective equipment and workplace bullying. Even if your workplace is
‘better than most’, you will be able to relate to some of the above and
the basic condition of your work: your labour being exploited is
something you have in common with all other workers.

NO WAR BUT CLASS WAR 2:00 3:00 Electron Club.

For over a year the war in Ukraine has ruined the lives of millions of
people inside and outside the war zone. The division between Russia and
NATO has become irreconcilable and the possibility of a wider conflict
encompassing the US and China looks to be a ticking time bomb. How can
workers and internationalists organise within a war-ready imperialism?
What sort of organisations can workers build outside the trade unions?
What principles should internationalists be rallying around? An open
discussion on these questions and more relating to war, nationalism and
class.

A PEOPLES GUIDE TO THE CITY 3:00 – 4:00 Cinema

We do not have a guide to the city that is representative of ordinary
Glaswegian citizens. We do not have an index that can help folk to find
and explore the rich history of our “workers” city that has be
painstakingly, researched, written, recorded, archived and saved for
posterity by those who understand the importance of that history. Making
a peoples guide, presentation and discussion

HOUSING STRUGGLES 4.00 – 5.30 Cinema

Presentation from Spirit of Revolt Archive and materials from various
collections. Featuring housing issues including material from the Les
Forster Collection. Anni Donaldson will relaunch and talk about the book
“Sell and Be Damned” about the Glasgow Merrylee housing scandal of 1951
(2022) . John Cooper speaking on housing struggles in Castlemilk.

THE NEED FOR ANARCHIST ORGANISATIONS. Open Discussion 5:30 -6:30 Cinema

Anarchism is a great idea, but it will remain at the level of ideas if
anarchists aren’t organised and capable of building a movement rather
than a ‘scene’. This meeting will hear anarchist communists talk about
the need for organisation at a local, regional, national and
international level and why anarchist political organisations are
crucial in the struggle for working class power. All welcome

Check website for updates on times.

You can see the participant list here.

In the spirit of solidarity and camaraderie – the organising groups have collectively agreed on and implemented a Safer Spaces agreement (based on the IWW agreement, but with our own additions) – which can be found here.

Our poster: we encourage you to download it and share it as widely as possible!

Get in touch with the sponsoring orgs:
Glasgow ACG: glasgow@anarchistcommunism.org
Glasgow Keelie: glasgowkeelie@riseup.net
Spirit of Revolt: info@spiritofrevolt.info